Fable III

With the coming of Fable Anniversary, a remake of the first Fable installment, I thought I would write about my personal experience with the only title I've played in this franchise, Fable III. Truthfully, I got more out of this game than I originally expected and was impressed on how much it had to offer me in terms of gameplay and humor. I also don't play a lot of games where my decisions have a significant impact on the game's overall outcome, so the fact that I stuck to this game to the end has to say something about its value and playability. But hey, it was free (Games with Gold). Might as well have given it a try.

Story

Fable III's campaign takes place in the fictional world of Albion under the rule of the protagonist's brother, King Logan. Logan rules the kingdom with an iron fist, not taking any concern for the common man's well being as they work to the bone for the sake of a strong economy. Even children toil away by his law. As the protagonist, the player takes the role of the Prince or Princess of Albion who does not agree with Logan's powerful standing. The reason for this disagreement largely depends on the player's decisions. It could be anywhere in between the disgust of the way Logan treats his subjects or the selfish need to rule Albion yourself. Regardless, the nameless Prince/Princess comes to the realization that they are a Hero (They clearly could not think of anything creative to call it...) in the making and, with help of Royal Advisor Walter and Royal Butler Jasper, escapes the Albion royal castle to amass an army and overthrow Logan. Your job as the player is to make decisions along the way, good or bad, and grow stronger as the Hero of Brightwall.

Gettin real tired of your sh*t, Logan.

A rather simple and generic tale and I really wish there was a more unique title than "Hero", but I grew to like how the player's decisions affect the game's aftermath. That's gameplay material though, so moving on.

Gameplay

Fable III is a decision based adventure game. The player must travel around the lands of Albion to seek allies, fighting off any threat in their way. The player can pretty much do whatever they want as long as the story is progressing. First off, character customization.

What to do, what to do?

Nearly everything you customize is done through the Sanctuary and the possibilities are probably endless. One can change the character's hairstyle, hair color, clothing, clothing color, etc. The colors are changed according to what dyes are available at the time and one can even change the color's hue. Every article of clothing can be changed: Tops, pants, boots, hats, masks, gloves, you name it. Your outfits matter in the sense that it affects how NPCs will treat you. You can be attractive, cool, silly, tacky, scary (There's a giant chicken suit for God's sake!). One can also choose what weapons and style of magic they can use. The weapons consist of a melee weapon (Sword or Hammer) and a firearm (Rifle or Pistol) and each weapon has its own strengths and abilities (Plus you can name them). Some of the weapons' appearances will even change according to what else you use in conjunction with them. Magic is brought in forms of fire, electricity, ice, wind, etc. and can be used as a targeted blast or a surrounding blast around the player, both of which are chargeable. One can even mix two kinds of magic for maximum destruction. All of these things are upgraded through the Road to Rule, a dimension that is unlocked gradually through the story's progression, and their power can also be increased through prolonged use.

Sandgoose? Definitely renaming that.

The combat system in this game is not difficult by any means. I have never once died in my playthrough. It is a simple case of swinging, shooting bullets, or using magic. There is no limit to how much magic you can use or how many bullets you can spam. All that you need to do is learn to avoid enemy attacks, block, and attack them yourself. Something admirable about this game is that the enemies you encounter change according to how much stronger you become, going from regular wolves, to magic wielding mercenaries, to Balverines, and more. There is, however, a point where they can't get any stronger... so just spam bullets again. Your fighting style also flourishes according to what weapons you use and how aggressive you are. Imagine my surprise when I parry an enemy only to jump up and snap his neck with my legs. Sweet Holy Brothers of Smash, that was awesome!

Prepare your anus, I will break you!!!

Lastly is the decision based gameplay. Will you be good or evil? These types of decisions are based off of how you interact with the NPCs and whether or not you honor your promises. You can go around and praise or insult people. You can extinguish innocent lives or help people through side quests. You can buy properties and ask for low rents, medium rents, or high rents. You can have people live in nice or rundown homes. The game is open to anything you want to do, but it's ultimately up to whether or not you decide to save Albion as King or Queen and how you decide to save them. Honestly, the game could not stress this enough as you make your way through the Road to Rule. Your choice, Angel or Demon? Or you could be a boring neutral...

To be or not to be, that is the question.

Presentation

There is a great sense of freedom within Fable III. There is an entire world to explore with the companionship of your loyal dog who not only finds hidden goods in your surroundings, but also assists you in mauling your fallen enemies. You can have a property to keep as a home, marry an NPC (Or seven) or another player entirely, have kids, watch them grow and find out they have dark skin when both you and your mate have light skin, start wondering who it was your wife was whoring around with... that got way too personal. What I liked best about Fable III is that it is just incredibly witty. You can burp or fart into people's faces, eat until you're overweight, hear some very odd and creative insults, most of the longer side quests are just one big joke! The game even makes you feel like an absolute fool when having sex since the screen goes black and you start hearing bed springs, inappropriate laughing, and some circus music or something.

"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

Not to mention that the kingdom does in fact change according to what you decide as ruler. People may fear you, love you, hate you. The streets can be clean or polluted. The graphics are not the best and there are some blurry moments, but nearly everything is under your control.

Fable III may seem a bit overwhelming for those who have never played a game like this at first, but it is very accessible. The world of Albion is yours to mold into your own image and makes you feel responsible, there is plenty of witty comedy to keep you going through the game, and while a tad unoriginal and simple, the story is not too bad. I do wish the combat was a bit more challenging since it gets a little boring to just kill everything in eight seconds and I wasn't really motivated to find all of the collectibles.